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Volume 14 Part 1 Article 29
Year 1995
Title: Microbial populations and straw degradation in mushroom composts prepared in controlled environments
Authors: C.E. Evered, R. Noble and P.T. Atkey

Abstract:

Conventional mushroom composting involves a largely uncontrolled phase in which there are wide variations in temperature and oxygen level, resulting in the production of odour pollutants. The experiments reported in this paper investigated environmental conditions for compost preparation in an attempt to minimise odour production. Substrates for mushroom culture were prepared in flasks under controlled temperature and aeration. The temperature (48 to 72°C), 0₂ concentration (0.6 to 8.7% v/v) and duration (6 to 20 h) of an initial pasteurization phase were varied before all the substrates were given a standard aerated conditioning period at 47°C. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) observations showed that compost straw decomposition and actinomycete and fungal populations decreased as the pasteurization temperature increased from 48 to 72°C. Pasteurization at 72°C resulted in predominantly bacterial populations, with the development of high populations of intercellular bacteria at 72°C, 0.6% 0₂.

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